How he'll handle the pressure of State of Origin is the great unknown, but new Maroons fullback Reece Walsh stacks up with the best in some Telstra Tracker areas this season.
While Walsh only graduated from Keebra Park High School in 2019, the Queensland debutant – who will turn 19 next month – has shown athletic ability and skills far beyond his years in seven NRL games.
The former Bronco has recorded a top speed of 35.2km/h for the Warriors. That makes him the fourth-fastest player picked for Origin II according to 2021 Telstra Tracker premiership data.
Out of the Origin squads, only Blues pair Josh Addo-Carr (38.1km/h) and Tom Trbojevic (35.9km/h) and Maroons centre Dane Gagai (35.7km/h) have outpaced Walsh at club level so far this season.
James Tedesco, Walsh's opposite number and the NSW captain, has maxed out at 33.4km/h for the Roosters this year.
Walsh is ranked equal-10th out of all Blues and Queensland players for average high-speed efforts (20km/h or more) per game with 27.
And he comes in 12th for high-speed metres (343m per game), beating out the likes of Latrell Mitchell, Daly Cherry-Evans, Kyle Feldt, Jarome Luai, Cameron Munster, Nathan Cleary and Damien Cook.
That's despite Walsh having shortened game-time in two matches because he came off the bench before claiming the No.1 role.
Tedesco wowed by Walsh, inspired by Cordner
The prodigious talent may have to cover more ground than the seven kilometres he currently averages per NRL outing.
And with Origin's fabled intensity, he can expect to crank up his metres per minute ratio from his NRL average of 68.7. Queensland middles Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (66.2) and Moeaki Fotuaika (58) are the only Origin II representatives who average fewer metres per minute.
The challenge awaiting Walsh is mental as well as physical, but his overall Telstra Tracker output suggests he'll match it with the elite as he tries to help the Maroons keep the series alive.
Origin II in Brisbane is sold out but tickets are still on sale for game three at Stadium Australia in Sydney on July 14 - get your tickets at NRL.com/tickets.
